Friday, October 19, 2007

1. And it's Friday! I'm so glad. What a drive down south through the wind and rain. All the Seattle floating bridges had nice cresting waves, but I don't think it was too bad. Visibility coming down through Salem was really poor, but I'm here.

2. Writing is moving along, I'm really making progress and enjoying it so much! I will be done with my 35k by October 31. I can't wait. Lots of inspiration this week in the big book sales for several writing colleagues. Go, J and A!

3. Reading piles of writing and history books. Just finished a very disturbing look at the foundations of the Nazi Party and its occult leanings. Very disturbing. Also finishing Cahill's book on the Middle Ages. Next up is a book on WWII events in North Africa and Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire (didn't get through it before London; will recheck it out and finish in November) and the sequel.

4. Perplexed by the massacre in Pakistan surrounding Bhutto's return. Encouraged by Bush's encouragement and award to the Dalai Lama this past week.

5. Enjoying the little things in life today; an Internet connection, a good book, cashmere socks(!), and the chance to give grace, even to those who don't impress me much.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Just dashing through in between writing madly and dodging rain drops and blustery clouds overhead. Puget Sound is getting it today. I'm headed down to the family for a few days to a wedding reception and to laugh and hang out.

First wedding anniversary spent apart! Yes, hubby was traveling this time. We have been married four years. I can't believe how time flies when you're having fun. :)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Hello, I don't have much to say today (to make up for yesterday or today's lack of blog posts) because I'm writing up a storm. The October 31 deadline is looming (I'm in the NST Novel Challenge) and then the next day starts Nanowrimo and I've decided to not stop at the end of October (because there is no way I'm going to finish by then). So 35k must be done by October 31 and all 70k done by end of Nanowrimo. I know, I know, that's not the way Nanowrimo works, but this year is how it works for me.

Missing hubby terribly, but he just sent pictures of the managers group squinting into the Arizona sunshine, so he's doing good. When I'm not writing, I'm cleaning out the pantries, closets, fridge, drawers, etc. Sorting is so good for the writing life and I swear this house feels lighter.

Monday, October 15, 2007

I know, I'm supposed to be recommending fiction. I'm coming right back to that next week, but I need to recap my London visit for a bit.

While in Oxford at Blackwell's bookshop, I picked up a British paperback, The Inklings, which chronicles the writing group C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and others utilized during their most prolific years. Tolkien used this group as a sounding board for his Lord of the Rings trilogy and C.S. Lewis wrote his science fiction and Narnia books while in this group (Lewis wrote many, many things, including a large volume of the Oxford History of English Literature series for Oxford University Press on English Literature in the Sixteenth Century; I have a first edition copy of this book in my library). After reading The Inklings, I now have a much better understanding of why Lewis and Tolkien were able to write such epic stories. They read so widely, and both preferred the Icelandic mythology to the modern poets (T.S. Eliot was not a favorite at first, but gradually grew on the group as acceptable) and both Tolkien and Lewis actually petitioned the board successfully to change the Oxford literature curriculum from a wide sweep of old/middle/modern literature to old and middle literature, stopping at 1830, thereby omitting the moderns, which was used for many years.

The book is a conglomeration of diaries (mostly from Warnie who wrote one faithfully; Lewis disdained the use of such trifles), which recorded happenings around the most prolific members' writing and publishing endeavors. An editor at Oxford University Press, marooned in Oxford from London during the war, Charles Williams, is the other prolific member, although J.R.R. Tolkien's son, Christopher, was a latter member, which in my opinion is truly appropos.

The book is a quick and fascinating read and worth the trouble to get if you're a diehard Lewis/Tolkien fan and desire to know more. Of course, as I just returned from visiting Lewis' home, I appreciated the filling in of the broad stories I have heard growing up about Lewis' life. I learned many new things.